Academic Success Advisor

The primary purpose of the Academic Success Advisor is to assist students in achieving their educational goals and to provide opportunities for them to enhance their academic, career, and personal development. Academic Success Advisors provide holistic advising to understand students' lives to support students and remove barriers to their educational, career and life goals. This includes helping students develop individualized academic, career, and financial plans in close collaboration with other student support units.

Position Accountabilities

Counseling and Advising: Follow best practices from NACADA on helping students choose degrees, modalities and courses based on students' interests and strengths. Assist as students complete their classes, navigate their degree plans, and re-enroll. Ensure students have accurate and timely information, access to appropriate academic and financial assistance, plus appropriate curricular and co-curricular support. Execute orientation and planning interviews with students in the first 2 weeks of the first term of enrollment: in person, online, by phone, or other strategy. Execute regularly scheduled check-ins for each student during progress to degree. Execute proactive and intentional notifications to students to complete necessary financial aid, registration, confirmation, VA, and associated processes within 24 hours of receiving alerts.


Retention - Mitigate stop outs relative to Satisfactory Academic Progress, financial/personal distress, low attendance and/or academic performance, or general dissatisfaction - respond to risk alerts and proactively contact students within 3 business days. Utilize available technologies and the university constituent relationship management (CRM) system to provide student status reports, alert necessary resource personnel, conduct outreach and record interactions.


Support services - Work with students and appropriate departments to ensure provision of needed support services, such as Academic Support, Career Development, Campus Center Staff, Military and Veteran Student Services, and International Student Services. Provide basic information to students and connect students with these resource areas by setting appointments and conducting follow up check-ins. Ensure students are aware of other services available, such as Counseling Center, Library, computer labs, and more. Collaborate with FYE program to support academic resilience and work with Faculty Advisors to coordinate support.


Liaison - Connect students with appropriate student engagement and offsite opportunities - based on their major, interests, location, and mode of delivery. Work behind the scenes with staff and faculty throughout Park, including Faculty Advisors, Academic Advisors, Campus Center Directors, Academic Support Services, Military & Veteran Student Services, Park Distance Learning, Financial Aid, Registrar's Office, Career Development, Athletics, and International Student Services.


Planning and Development-Identify and document issues that arise in relation to schedule conflicts, course rotations, and other barriers to student success. Inform planning and policy revisions to support student success in collaboration with other units. Create optimal schedules for first year students in following best practices for student retention and success, including on ground classes, attention to course pairing, and pre-professional course guidance.


Position Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master's degree preferred.
  
  

• Strong problem solving skills and attention to detail.
  
  

• Ability to work both face-to-face and in a virtual environment, making email, chat, or phone interactions with students.
  
  

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
  
  

• Able to work on a non-traditional schedule, specifically evenings and weekends.
  
  

• Preference given to Veterans or candidates with military experience or affiliation.
  
  

• Preference given to candidates with working knowledge and experience with a wide range of computer technology such as Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), databases, call center, and constituent relationship management (CRM) systems.
  
  

• Preference given to candidates with advising or career counseling experience.
  
  

• Preference given to candidates with international experiences or knowledge of international student processes.
  
  

• Preference given to applicants who speak multiple languages.
  
  

• Must be able to work with a diverse student and faculty population.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to navigate Parkville Campus which may require walking and climbing stairs.
  
  

• Standing, lifting, carrying and basic use hand tools.
  
  

• Visual acuity and ability to hear and communicate.
  
  

Founded in 1875, Park University is a private, liberal arts university. Park's flagship campus is located in the Kansas City suburb of Parkville, Missouri, on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. We offer an excellent benefits package including health, dental, and life insurance, retirement plan, and tuition-paid undergraduate classes for employees and dependents. Park University is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages applications from women and minorities.

Qualified applicants must upload a resume and cover letter that includes salary requirements.